My Bucket List!

This list will morph and grow as I do (and as I remember or discover things that should be on it), but for now, here are the basics. For any of these places, if you've been there and I've forgotten (or didn't know) about something awesome that simply can't be missed, comment below or email me at authorbrandikennedy@gmail.com and let me know what I'm missing!

Live in an RV for a decade (or more) and travel the North American Continent in it.

Leave a ridiculously large tip for a restaurant server who's having such a bad time personally that they slip up and tell me how their car broke down or their house got repossessed or something.

Places To Go:

America: I've lived here all my life, with a wanderlust you wouldn't believe, and yet I've seen almost nothing. Most of what I have seen, I likely saw it when I wasn't old enough to really remember. I've been to Washington DC, but I went as a kid so I'd love to go again as an adult. I'd love to see the memorials and statues through adult eyes and experience the buildings and architecture with new appreciation. I'd also love to see:

Alaska

Florida Keys

Grand Canyon

Great Lakes

Las Vegas

Mt. Rushmore

New England!

Niagara Falls

Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

Petrified Forrest

Rocky Mountains

Walk of Fame

Yellowstone National Park

Australia: Australia fascinates me, and not just because of the laid-back accent and cute nicknames Aussies seem to have for EVERYTHING. I love architectural buildings like the Opera House in Sydney, though I suspect it looks different from up close. I would love to see the Great Barrier Reef, though I've nearly lost hope of seeing it before it's gone. Still ... if there's time, I'd love to see it. I can only imagine how beautiful I'd find it, how captivating to see such fragile life going on under the surface of the sea. Other places on my list include:

Phillip Island - I'd love to see the penguins and koalas!

Scenic World at Katoomba

Whitsundays Islands

France: I have always wanted to see France. I want to see so much in Paris especially, both during the day and at night. A short look at my French travel dream includes:

Champagne

the Chateaux de Fountainebleau

the Eiffel Tower

the Louvre

Monet's Gardens

Montmartre

Musee d'Orsay

Pont de l'Archeveche - the Lover's Bridge!

Versailles

Thailand: I've always had a special love for exotic places and ancient cultures, and Thailand has so much to offer. From the beautiful beaches to the stunning landscape ... I'd love to see:

Chiang Rai

the Death Railway

Khao Yai National Park

Kmer Ruins

Koh Kut Island

Sukhothai Historical Park

Other places I'd like to see for various reasons (and will list more comprehensively eventually) include:

Africa

Belgium - The Atomium in Brussels looks SO COOL! I think it would be fun to tour the comic murals in Brussels, too.

Belize

Bora Bora (of course)

Costa Rica: Beachside in the dry season, forest exploration in the rainy season. I'm so there.

Egypt: the Pyramids, of course.

England

Fiji

Germany

Greece

Hungary

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy - So many things! The Duke Palace, so many cathedrals! The La Scala Opera House. Riding in a gondola. Michaelangelo's statue of David (Florence), the Coliseum (Rome), the Trevi Fountain (Rome), and the Pantheon (Rome). Vatican City; Burano, Venice; Rome; Florence; Pompeii.

Jamaica

Peru: Machu Picchu

Petra, Jordan

Prague, Czech Republic

Russia: Moscow. Omg, the architecture.

Scotland

South Korea: Stay in a Hahoe village to experience old-school Korean tradition with Josephine.

Tahiti

Vietnam: I'd love a chance to spend a few days exploring the Marble Mountains and the surrounding areas.

WorldWide Attractions:

Castles: Maybe it's a leftover thing from the old days when I was a little girl who liked to pretend she could be a "real" princess someday, and maybe it's just the fascination with opulence that comes from growing up worse-than-dirt-poor. Either way, castles have always been a high excitement trigger for me. Here are some of my most must-see castles:

'lolani Castle (Honolulu, Hawaii)

the Bishop's Palace (Galveston, Texas)

Bodhiam Castle (England)

Boldt Castle (Alexandria Bay, New York)

Buckingham Palace (England)

Castello di Amorosa (Napa Valley, California)

Castle In The Clouds (Ossipee Mountains, New Hampshire)

Foothill Castle (Buck's County, Pennsylvania)

Galleria Doria Pamphili (Rome, Italy)

Hearst Castle (San Simeon, California)

Kensington Palace (England)

Leeds Castle (England)

Oheka Castle (Long Island)

Thornewood Castle (Tacoma, Washington)

Loire Valley Castles (Loire Valley, France)

Luxembourg Palace (France)

Warwick Castle (England)

Lighthouses: I don't know why I have such a love for lighthouses, but it has always been there. Maybe it's to do with my love of the New England area and my impression of natural beauty, the cooler weather combined with my childhood love of the ocean. Maybe it's the inborn mental combination of lighthouses and my love of Maine (though I've never been there either) ... but whatever it is, lighthouses have always been symbols for me, symbols of adventure, symbols of safety, history, romance. Some of the ones I'd like to see are:

Bodie Island Lighthouse (North Carolina)

Cape Lookout Lighthouse (North Carolina)

Cape Neddick Lighthouse (York, Maine)

Makapu'u Point Lighthouse (Oahu, Hawaii)

the ones on Mount Desert Island - the Baker Island Light and the Bass Harbor Head Light (Acadia National Park, Maine)

St. Augustine Lighthouse (St. Augustine, Florida) - I've been there before, but I was very young and all I remember now is my excitement. I'd like to go again someday, take some pictures and hopefully, actually remember more of the trip this time.

Yerba Buena Lighthouse (San Francisco, California)

Wats/Churches/Temples: I love the architecture and the old-world beauty of the world's ancient Wats. Depending on the religion and belief system behind the buildings, there's always so much variety in the style and feel of these beautiful old temples, and so many are all the more beautiful in their current state - although so many others have their own sense of magic, shrouded in the sadness of their decay. I'd love to see:

Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

Basilica of St. Nicholas (Bari, Italy)

Campanile (Florence, Italy)

Duomo Di Milano (Milan, Italy)

Notre-Dame de Paris (Paris, France)

St.Mark's Basilica (Venice, Italy)

Wat Pho (Thailand)

Wat Phra Kaew (Thailand)

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

Wat Rong Khun (Thailand)

Keep checking back as the list grows longer and more specific! Someday, I'd like this list to be sprinkled with links as I go to these places and blog about them here, effectively checking them "off" the list.

2 comments:

What a great bucket list. We have a lot in common. However, you left Brazil off your list...shame on you...lol. I've also had a fascination with castles. There is a small one here in Ohio called Squires' Castle. I was there as a kid and then when I was around 30ish again. It's so amazing to see where someone in a different time actually lived and HOW they lived. I really want to see the Scottish and English castles as those are in my heritage. As far as where I've been:Cruise to the BahamasCruise to Mexico CityOhio, Pennsylvania, Nevada-Las Vegas, Niagra Falls (both sides), West Virginia, South Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee (in the airport only but it counts...lol), Orlando, Florida, Wisconsin, Atlantic City, NJ, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, New York and that's all I can think of at the moment. Most of it was following a PA band called Halestorm (we saw them in multiple cities).

That's an impressive travel list - I can't wait til mine is that long! In the meantime, there will be lots of South American sights and countries on my list eventually ... This list is on no way comprehensive, and is always changing. What's the #1 thing in Brazil that you think I simply MUST have on my list?

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